Museum of Polish History / Ateliers O-S architectes

Paris-based Ateliers O-S architectes shared with us their project for the Museum of Polish History in Warsaw. More images and architect’s description after the break.

At the East access of Warsaw takes place an unusual building, overhanging the canyon of the highway. A combination of volumes connect the opposite banks, as a construction set. The museum is composed as part of the landscape. Seven big entities, low square buildings containing each one a part of the program, cross the canyon in a sprawling shape. Other small entities are scattered all over the site, as info box or park pavilions. The bigness of the project is decreased by the moderate dimensions of each entity, inspired by the scale of the Castle Uzajdow. This neighboring emblematic building hosts a contemporary art museum. The idea is to hang on the site, with a low building that got a flexible organization and shape.

The museum is organized around the exhibition zone that takes place over the Aleja Armii Ludovej. On the north side the main access distribute the public forum zone and the zone of supplementary functions. On the south is located the private education and research zone department and the other one is public. The organization is simple, public on one side and private on the other, the exhibition zone makes the link. The Museum Park takes place on the east side of the museum, as a continuity of the actual green landscape. It is bounded by two existing roads, replacing the actual bridge. On the west side, the park overhangs the highway. On the east side, the road is the main access to the museum by car. The entities are introverted, to protect themselves from the noise of the highway. But they are not close to the outside, the facades operate like a filter, with possible view and lights. They could be made of perforate aluminium panels, according to the solar orientation and the noise of the surroundings. Green wide patios bring lights to the exhibition rooms, as a shelter a few meters over the highway.